Sunday, August 13, 2006

IF YOU'RE A MUSLIM - IT'S YOUR PROBLEM

When will they declare, loud and clear, with no qualifications or quibbles about Britain's foreign policy, that Islamic terrorism is WRONG?

Most of all, when will the Muslim community in this country accept an absolute, undeniable, total truth: that Islamic terrorism is THEIR problem? THEY own it. And it is THEIR duty to face it and eradicate it.

To stop the denial, endless fudging and constant wailing that somehow it is everyone else's problem and, if Islamic terrorism exists at all, they are somehow the main victims.

Because until that happens the problem will never be resolved. And there will be more 7/7s and, sometime in the future, another airplane plot will succeed with horrific loss of innocent life.

Equally important, those British politicians who have seemed obsessed with pandering to, and even encouraging, this state of denial, must throw off their politically-correct blinkers and recognise the same truth—that Muslim terrorism in Britain is the direct responsibility of British Muslims.

If only they would follow the lead of Home Secretary John Reid, whose tough, pragmatic, clear-sighted approach has been a breath of fresh air. Only then can they properly work out how to tackle it.

For instance, every airport in Britain is in chaos over the plane bomb-plot alert as every passenger is subjected to rigorous security checks. Why? They take lots of time, lots of staff, and are extremely expensive.

I'm a white 62-year-old 6ft 4ins suit-wearing ex-cop—I fly often, but do I really fit the profile of suicide bomber? Does the young mum with three tots? The gay couple, the rugby team, the middle-aged businessman?

No. But they are all getting exactly the same amount and devouring huge resources for no logical reason whatsoever. Yet the truth is Islamic terrorism in the West has been universally carried out by young Muslim men, usually of ethnic appearance, almost always travelling alone or in very small groups. A tiny percentage, I bet, of those delayed today have such characteristics.

This targeting of airport resources is called passenger profiling—the Israelis invented it and they've got probably the safest airports and airlines in the world.

In all my years at the front line of fighting terrorism, one truth was always clear — communities beat terrorists, not governments or security forces. But communities can't beat terrorism unless they have the will to do so. My heart sank this week as I saw and read the knee-jerk reaction of friends and neighbours of those arrested in this latest incident, insisting it was all a mistake and the anti-terrorist squad had the wrong people.

I have no idea whether those arrested are guilty or not. But neither have those friends and neighbours. They spoke as if it was inconceivable such a thing could happen in their community; that those arrested were all good Muslims; that Islam is a religion of peace so no Muslim could dream of planning such an act.

But we heard the same from the family and friends of the 7/7 bombers, didn't we?

And the two young British Muslims who died as suicide bombers in Israel. Then there are the British Muslims known to have become suicide bombers in Iraq.

There is currently a huge, long-running and complex alleged Islamist bomb plot being tried at the Old Bailey. And a fistful of other cases of alleged Muslim terrorism plots such as the 21/7 London Underground case are also awaiting trial.

All this would suggest the blindingly obvious—that terrorism is a major problem for the Muslim community of Britain. Of course, there will be instant squealings that this is racism. It's not. It's exactly the same as recognising that, during the Northern Ireland troubles that left thousands dead, the IRA were totally based in the Catholic community and the UVF in the Protestant.

And that, most importantly, IRA terrorism only began to draw to a close when that Catholic community it was based in decided as a whole that it was no longer prepared to back violence as the only way forward. Interestingly, it was Catholic revulsion over republican terrorist atrocities such as Enniskillen and Omagh that fuelled that change.

Well, Muslim terrorism in Britain is based in, has its roots in, and grows in, our Muslim community. The madmen of 7/7 and other suicide bombings didn't hide among the Hindu communities, worship in the Sikh temples, recruit at Catholic churches, did they? It may be true that events in Iraq have angered sections of the Muslim community. I have no doubts, whatever Tony Blair says, that it was a catalyst. I also think it's entirely fair for Muslims, if they wish, to vocally oppose Britain's continuing involvement there.

I can recognise, too, that recent events in Lebanon inflame some people, and they want their voices of protest heard. The absolutely unacceptable problem is that this opposition is used by too many to turn a blind eye to, or excuse, terrorists in their midst.

Blasting a passenger airliner out of the sky, killing hundreds of innocent men, women and children, is NEVER acceptable. Under any circumstances. There is NEVER an excuse.

A terrible tragedy costing Muslim lives in Lebanon or Iraq or Afghanistan is never ever an excuse for terrorism here.

It is totally unacceptable, totally wrong. What one party perceives as a wrong, no matter how strongly they feel, does not, in turn, justify another wrong being done to avenge it.

And until every single member of the Muslim community believes that and preaches that—from an ordinary parent to imam or madrassa teacher—terrorism can't be beaten.

Politicians must accept this truth, and do something about it. One example would be to tackle this chaos at our airports and the passenger profiling I described earlier. Another must is to reconsider ID cards. The importance of knowing whether someone really is who they say they are has never been higher.

This must be combined with improved border controls, logging exactly who goes OUT of the country as well as who comes in should also be reconsidered, whatever the politically correct among us may say. The time terrorism suspects are kept in custody before charge has also caused dissent. Currently the maximum is 28 days—it may well be this should be reconsidered and, if necessary, raised again to, say, 42 days.

Plainly, Muslim terrorism isn't going away. We need to consider everything in our battle to defeat it. But that's the responsibility of all.

17 comments:

I'll say this much. Yes the acts of Terror is the business of the Muslims in Britian & America. It's the business of the main source of Islam in Saudi Arabia. Somehow the Muslims in the West have been allowed to secretly root for the acts of terror on one end, and appearing innocent and peaceful on the other end. This way, non-terrorist Muslims can just sit back and enjoy all of our liberties, money, properties, and landscape of freedom, while their partnered belief system advocates threaten the world with terror. I'm not saying all Muslims are terrorists. I'm saying all people within a group are responsible for the actions of the members. If a policeman goes out, and unjustifiably shoots a kid, uses racial slurs intentionally and with open defiance for and laws, and rules within the department, then it's a bad reflection on the whole Police Department if the Chief of Police just condons it, despite the fact of it being proven. The same rule should apply for all Muslims in the West. If you want to enjoy the priviledges of being among us, our liberties, and making money over here, then stop terrorism, or relay the message to your counterparts that an act against us, is an act against your pockets, because America needs to seize all assets, stop all business dealings, and cease all foreign travel of foreigners into the land. America needs to capture Osama Bin Laden, Ayman Al Zawarhi, and all the Taliban & Al Qaeda to send the message out that if we can't enjoy our way of life over here, neither will you. I can bet ya if America did that, we'd have Osama Bin Laden in custody within 72 hours. http://www.genevasonmedia.com/BlackBox.html

"Most of all, when will the Muslim community in this country accept an absolute, undeniable, total truth: that Islamic terrorism is THEIR problem? THEY own it. And it is THEIR duty to face it and eradicate it."

What are we supposed to do your Lordship? We own it do we? Bug our neighbours? String them up from the lampost if they grow a beard too long? How do we eradicate it? mousetraps or poison? Are we not tax paying members of society who have a police force to deal with criminals?You are a racist fuckwit who is blaming all muslims because some take objection to your mass-murdering blood drenched war criminal pals in Downing Street. You are a totally out of touch fool.

As for Benjamin who can't even spell his own name, you want to punish people who have done nothing to set an example for the actions of a tiny minority who may have. In that case why don't we lock you up because your white brethren sell drugs, kill people and molest children?

"Blasting a passenger airliner out of the sky, killing hundreds of innocent men, women and children, is NEVER acceptable. Under any circumstances. There is NEVER an excuse."

I agree. Do you, though, like me, also believe that dropping high explosives from an aircraft on to another country, on to a residential building, or a market, or a wedding party or a convoy of fleeing refugees, over time killing hundreds of thousands of innocent men, women and children, is NEVER acceptable? Under any circumstances? There is NEVER an excuse?

If you do not, then you are a hypocrite of the first order, sir.

"A terrible tragedy costing Muslim lives in Lebanon or Iraq or Afghanistan is never ever an excuse for terrorism here.

It is totally unacceptable, totally wrong. What one party perceives as a wrong, no matter how strongly they feel, does not, in turn, justify another wrong being done to avenge it."

A terrible tragedy? You make it sound like a natural disaster! An act of god, instead of a calculated and ruthless waging of 'total war' the primary victims of which are innocent civilians.

So, let's once again slightly modify your words:

"A 'terrible tragedy' costing lives in the United States or the United Kingdom is never ever an excuse for a massive bombing campaign against countries 'over there'.

It is totally unacceptable, totally wrong. What one party perceives as a wrong, no matter how strongly they feel, does not, in turn, justify another wrong being done to avenge it."

You see how this goes? Everything you say in your piece can be reflected back at us and be equally true. Or false.

But then we are wholly good so our bombs are always kindly meant and for the best. They wholly are bad so their bombs are evil and without reason or motive.

Utter nonsense.

The brutal fact is that for fifty years we in the West have become used to the idea that we can wage one-sided war, and that the peoples we bombed and invaded had no means of really striking back. We could send our planes to bomb others in the sure and certain knowledge that no planes would be flying back to drop bombs on London or on New York.

Well, there are still no planes dropping bombs on us. But the people we've been bombing and invading for fifty years have found another way.

And suddenly the wars are no longer one-sided. Suddenly, the inevitable reaction to our violence can reach us. We are no longer safe as our leaders plan once again send out the bombers and the tanks. Iran? Syria? War is becoming two-sided again.

And now our actions have consequences which affect us all, Muslim and non-Muslim alike.

I am very much afraid of where our leaders (on both sides) have brought us in their arrogance, greed, lust for power and religious fervour. And where the hate and paranoia that is all too apparent in some of the responses to your piece will lead.

Ordinary, decent people - Muslim and non-Muslim alike - who simply wish to live their lives in peace and get along with each other must make themselves heard and try to stop this constant demonising of each other and the deliberate and cynical escalation of hatred and fear.

Terrorism is not just a problem for 'the Muslims' to deal with. Stopping official state terrorism is our problem too.

All of us must work to stop this madness.

And placing all the responsibility on one side while refusing to take any responsibility ourselves is both mendacious and futile.

If I see something happen, someone hurting someone else, I WILL DO WHAT I CAN TO STOP IT. I have come out a few scars heavier after all...

The main thing is that it is easy to see fear where even good action wouldn't allow us to progress further.

TO BE QUITE HONEST IT IS SMARTER TO LOOK AWAY

A) Person A. [Skin Color, Same as terrorist], finds and stops a plan to kill all the children of a local school. Peron A. then faces many problems firstly many people due to media reports would see the skin color as a common identifier with terrorism, [if it was a prime focus of difference]. This could lead to presecution of Person A., Person A.'s Child, Person B. and could also attract attention from the terrorist's type of people as well as untrustworthy.

I find that I am stupid and don't always follow logic however there is only going to be One road to peace short of total Destructionthat would be the cold calculated elimination of differences

"Islam is a religion of peace so no Muslim could dream of planning such an act.

But we heard the same from the family and friends of the 7/7 bombers, didn't we?"

DID WE? The father of London bomber Hasib Hussain told the BBC - "No-one has shown me any evidence that he did it,.... If I knew he could dod such a thing, I would break his legs,"

Terrorism is NOT just a problem for Muslims - Islam strongly opposes Murder and Suicide..... the actions of a small minority of people who call themselves Muslims, cannot be used to condemn ALL the follwers of Islam.

How exactly do Muslims 'own' terrorism???? IT IS EVERYBODY'S PROBLEM - you cannot blame ALL Muslims for the actions of a few of its follwers.

What about the big terrorist (Israel), killing children in front of all the world and no body even dare to say or protest. It's amazing how people can define terrorism in the way they like. I'm proud to be Muslim, even now more than ever. We never cried when the whole world against us, we still making our way through it, and I think the way USA and England act, they will unified the Islamic world, like Israel unified Lebanon whether they are Muslim(Sunni or shii) and the Christian. I'm even more proud how the Christian in Lebanon stood up and let the people in the world that, there is nothing would divide them.

Kebz, Do tell us how the article by Lord Stevens was racist. I don't believe he referred to any race. He referred to a religion. Also, your vocabulary seems to be rather limited.

You are in an advanced Western country. If you don't like it, there are plenty of primitive countries where your religion is the main one practised. Sometimes the ONLY one practised, by law.

Lord Stephens points out, rationally, that the Muslim "community" is responsible for controlling its own - in the sense that they shouldn't tolerate bonkers imams preaching war; they shouldn't be expressing approval and admiration for self-detonating murderers; they should be informing the police if they know of any self-detonating activity is to take place; they should cease constantly expressing an infantile sense of grievance against the world. They should dump the self-serving Muslim Council.

This is it. You're here. You don't like it, go elsewhere. And do look up the word "racist" in the dictionary so you don't embarrass yourself further.

indeed it does. Because the suicide bomber is deemed to be a "martyr" and has therefore NOT commited suicide, in purely Islamic theological terms.

A similar wordplay is used by Islamists with the term "innocent" or "civilian".

You often hear Islamists saying that they dont condone the killing of "civilians" in Israel - but thats because Islamists view all Israelis as military combatants. They arent "civilians", and neither are they "innocent", because of Israels "oppression" of the Muslims...blah lah blah - (insert ridiculous victimhood Pallywood statement here)

Hebollah was storing munitions in working schools. If a school was bombed, who died? Not the great fierce warriors. Schoolchildren sitting at their desks.

They were shooting their rockets from private houses and from villages full of Lebanese people. The Israelis knew this and had the common decency and humanity to litter those areas from planes, warning the inhabitants to get out.

Hezbollah meanwhile was not only making the Lebanese people into targets, but targetting innocent people and hospitals in Israel.

They are beneath contempt.

I am truly disappointed that there is a ceasefire. Israel should have finished the job of destroying Hezbollah.

You are a wise, wise man, Lord Stevens. Could you please come to America and run for office? We need someone here who isn't afraid to tell it like it is. Our leaders are all more concerned about offending Muslims, than protecting Americans. It's insane.

Some of the comments here quite clearly indicate that western civilization has a problem; we're being invaded and defeated from within. A "racist fuckwit" or not, I for one salute you're plain addressing of this problem, Lord Stevens.

Verity said - "How was this fraud of swamping civilised Britain with a bunch of backward people from a Dark Ages religion perpetrated on the Brits, anyway?"

Well Verity, after the Second World war Britain desperately needed re-building, and thus advertised and used incentives to draw ethnic minorities into the country in order to fill up labour shortages. That is how many of the Muslims you refer to arrived in Britain.... they HELPED Britain. As for the Muslims born in Britain, they did not ASK to be born here, that's life, so get over it!!